Dressmaker&#39;s form.



A. WEST. DRESSMAKERS FORM. APPucAn -HLED Aus. 1o. 1915.

Patented Deo. 12, 1916.

mmm.,

blurb P/VkKKkIrFFP I@ lt ALICE WEST, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

DRESSIVIAKERS FORM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.. I2, 191m.

Application filed August 10, 1915. Serial No. 44,808.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALICE WEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dressmakers Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dress forms and aims to provide a novel construction of forms of that class which are molded or built up upon the person for whom the garments are to be made and fitted by the aid of the form, and one object of the invention is-to so construct the form that whileV light in weight it will be substantial and not liable to become distorted.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the form that in the process of preparing same-it may be adjusted to correspond to the natural poise of the person for whose use it is intended so that when the form is employed in the fitting of a skirt or like garment the garment may be made of exactly the proper length at the front and back in accordance with the natural stand ing poise of the person. v

Another aim of the invention is to disclose a novel means for reinforcing the walls of the form to prevent their collapse.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the form embodying the present invention,- Fig. 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view therethrough; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3*?) of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In preparing the form embodying the present invention, a jacket 1 of any suitable material but preferably of heavy canvas or other cloth which will not readily stretch, is fitted tightly to the person for whom garments are to be subsequently fitted to the form, and after the jacket has been so fitted to the person there is applied to the outer surface of the jacket a coating of a mixture of plaster of Paris and water which ingredients of the mixture have been heated to a temperature from 98O F. to 102 F. This coating' or layer is indicated in the drawings by the numeral 2 and while it is of such thickness as to impart the desired rigidity 1 to the walls of the form, it is nevertheless undesirable that it be so thick as to materially increase the dimensions of the form. After this coating has been applied and allowed to set, the form is divided vertically at the back and front and the halves are removed from the person and after removal are reunited in in any suitable manner. After these halves have been reunited the entire form is covered by a close fitting cloth jacket indicated by the numeral 3, which jacket imparts a finished appearance to the form and at the same time protects the layer or coating 2 of plaster of Paris.

rIhe form is supported upon a standard 4 and this standard is mounted at its lower end upon a platform 5 supported by casters or rollers 6. Secured to the standard 4 near the upper end thereof is a cross piece 7 and after this cross piece has been properly adjusted upon the standard and secured in place the form is placed over the upper end of the standard with the shoulder portions resting upon theends of the said cross piece 7. Secured to the standard 4l and extending transversely thereof substantially at the hip line of the form is a cross piece 8. After the form has been placed over the standard in the manner above stated it is tilted forwardly or rearwardly or laterally as may be required to cause the form to assume a position corresponding to the natural poise of the personfor whose use the form is intended and after having been so adjusted the form is completely filled with paper fiber or any other suitable material as indicated by the numeral 9, the upper portion of the standard and the cross pieces 7 and 8 being embedded in this filling. After the form has been filled, a suitable quantity of a mixture of plaster of Paris and water is poured into the neck portion of the form as indicated at l0 and allowed to harden, and by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be observed that the upper extremity of the standard 4 is embedded in this plaster of Paris filling and by reason of this fact and the further fact that the upper portion of the standard and the cross pieces secured thereto are embedded in the filling 9 the form will be held permanently in properly adjusted position with relation to the standard. It will be understood that the filling 9 serves effectually to prevent collapse of the walls of the form and gives to the form the desired weight to render it more stable than it would be if allowed to remain hollow.

The material constituting the inner lining or jacket 1 and the outer jacket is preferably extended or folded across thebottom of the form to form a closure indicated by the numeral 11.

In mounting the form upon the standard 4 the same is so `adjusted :that the distance from the neck lineV of the form to the floor surface upon Which the casters `6 rest vvill be exactly equal to the height of the person at the"corresponding point.

The collar or neck portion of the form is indicated by theniimeral 12 and is so proportioned that exteriorly it will be of exactlly the same circumferential measurement as the neck ofthe person for Whom the form is prepared. If ldesired a pin cushion 13 may be fitted into the neck or collar portion 12 in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, this cushion preferably yhaving a convex upper side projecting slightly above the upper edge of the said portion 12.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen that there is provided a 'dressform of the class described to which garments may be readily and accurately fitted and Which is of such construction that no alteration in measurements will be required to'compensate for any material difference in measurements of the person and of the form. It vvill further be apparent that inasmuch as the form is so constructed and Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the adjusted at the time of its preparation that it Will truly portray the natural poise of the person for Whom it is intended, skirts and other similar garments may be iitted to the form With the assurance that when coinpleted they will properly lit the person.

It is preferable that after the form has been finished a coating of White shellac be applied to the exterior surface thereof so as to impart a smooth and attractive inish to the form, and this coating is indicated by the numeral 14.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

A dress ,form including a hollow bod \Y having an inner lining of fabric and provided With a neck portion, the fabric lining being folded across the bottom of the form` a plastic coating upon the outer surface of said lining and across the folded portion at the bottom of the form, a fabric sheath covering said coating and extending across the bottom of the lform, a filling arranged with in the body portion, plastic material arranged Within the neck portion, a supporting standard extending through the bottom of the form and having its upper end anchored in the plastic material, and shoulder and hip braces carried by the standard and embedded Within the filling.

In testilnony whereof I allix my signature.

ALICE WEST. [n sf| Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

